One Team. One Mission.
It’s not easy to become a Deputy U.S. Marshal – because it’s not
easy to be a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Every day, we face challenges that
would make the average person quit.
We like it that way.
We don’t back down from adversity and we don’t fold under pressure.
When others count us out, we count on each other.
Whether we’re protecting federal witnesses, managing billion-dollar
assets, or chasing the world’s most dangerous criminals, we’re
committed to carrying out our mission.
Duties
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) serves as the enforcement arm of the
federal courts and is involved in virtually every federal law
enforcement initiative. The Marshals’ duties include protecting the
federal judiciary, apprehending federal fugitives, housing and
transporting federal prisoners, managing and selling seized assets
acquired by criminals through illegal activities, operate the
Witness Security Program, enforce court orders and Attorney General
orders involving civil disturbances and acts of terrorism, execute
civil and criminal processes. . The Marshals perform all these roles
by coordinating efforts with other federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies. This cooperation has been a cornerstone of the
Marshals Service since its inception. The agency’s headquarters is
located in Arlington, Virginia, and provides support to 94 district
offices across the country, including the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories of the United
States – the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Judicial Security
Protecting federal judicial officials — judges, attorneys and jurors
is a core mission for the U.S. Marshals. Deputy Marshals employ the
latest security techniques and devices during highly sensitive
trials throughout the nation.
Transporting Prisoners/JPATS
In 1995, the U.S. Marshals created an efficient and effective system
for transporting prisoners and criminal aliens. Managed by the U.S.
Marshals, Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS)
is one of the largest transporters of prisoners in the world,
handling more than 1,070 requests every day to move prisoners
between judicial districts, correctional institutions, and foreign
countries. JPATS completes more than 275,400 prisoner and alien
movements annually via coordinated air and ground systems.
Fugitive Operations
The U.S. Marshals is the federal government’s primary agency for
conducting fugitive investigations and apprehend more federal
fugitives than all other law enforcement agencies combined. Working
with authorities at the federal, state, and local levels, U.S.
Marshals-lead fugitive task forces assist in the arrest of state and
local fugitives across the country.
The USMS is the premier agency to apprehend foreign fugitives
believed to be in the United States, and it is the agency
responsible for locating and extraditing American fugitives, who
flee to foreign countries. In support of its international fugitive
investigative mission, the USMS has established foreign field
offices in Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The USMS also
maintains successful law enforcement liaison programs along the
borders of Mexico and Canada. Also, the USMS enjoys a mutually
beneficial relationship with the Department of State’s Diplomatic
Security Service and holds key positions at Interpol.
Sex Offender Investigations
The U.S. Marshals Service sex offender investigations mission is to
protect the public from sex offenders through the coordinated
enforcement of sex offender registration laws.
With the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
of 2006, the U.S. Marshals Service was designated as the lead
federal agency to investigate violations of federal sex offender
registration laws and to assist state, local, tribal and territorial
jurisdictions in locating and apprehending sex offenders who fail to
comply with their sex offender registration requirements. The
Marshals collaborate with those partner agencies to aggressively
investigate and pursue noncompliant offenders, placing the highest
priority on those who have committed violent acts and crimes against
children.
Missing Child Program
The U.S. Marshals Service supports the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) mission to protect children from
victimization by providing assistance to federal, state and local
law enforcement agencies.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 enhanced the U.S.
Marshals’ authority to assist federal, state and local law
enforcement with the recovery of missing, endangered or abducted
children, regardless of whether a fugitive or sex offender was
involved.
The Marshals established a Missing Child Unit to oversee and manage
the implementation of its enhanced authority under the act.
Prisoner Operations
The Marshals Service houses over 55,000 detainees in federal, state,
local and private jails throughout the nation. In order to house
these pre-sentenced prisoners, the Marshals Service contracts with
approximately 1,800 state and local governments to rent jail space.
Seventy-five percent of the prisoners in Marshals Service custody
are detained in state, local and private facilities; the remainder
are housed in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities.
Tactical Operations
Each year the USMS carries out hundreds of special missions related
to its broad law enforcement authority and judicial security
responsibilities. It also responds to homeland security crises and
national emergencies.
The USMS Special Operations Group is a specially trained, tactical
unit comprised of Deputy Marshals, who can respond immediately to
incidents anywhere in the United States or its territories.
Asset Forfeiture
The USMS is responsible for managing and disposing of seized and
forfeited properties acquired by criminals through illegal
activities. Under the auspices of the DOJ’s Asset Forfeiture
Program, the Marshals currently manage nearly $2.2 billion worth of
property, and promptly disposes of assets forfeited by all
Department of Justice agencies. The Program’s goal is to maximize
the net return from forfeited property and then reinvest the
proceeds for law enforcement purposes.
Witness Security
The U.S. Marshals ensures the safety of witnesses, who risk their
lives testifying for the government in cases involving organized
crime and other significant criminal activities. Since 1971, the
Marshals have protected, relocated and given new identities to more
than 8,500 witnesses and more than 9,900 of their family members.
The successful operation of the Witness Security Program has been
recognized as providing a unique and valuable tool in the
government’s battle against major criminal enterprises and
international terrorism. Witness Security Program personnel are the
world’s leading authorities and foremost experts on witness security
matters, providing guidance and training to numerous government
officials throughout the world.
For Air
Marshal positions, please visit the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
website. |